Environmental Engineering
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Environmental Engineering occupation series (code 0819), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
With 2,429 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce), Environmental Engineering ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Engineering and Architecture Group family, and headcount declined 0.9% from the prior period. Its average salary of $139,024 pays above the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 2,429
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $139,024
- Avg tenure
- 17 yrs
FedScope read on Environmental Engineering (dense series)
0.1% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Environmental Engineering occupation (OPM code 0819): 2,429 people, headcount down -0.9% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Environmental Engineering is $139,024 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.1% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 17 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
Environmental Engineering sits inside the Engineering and Architecture Group family (code 08), which contains 29 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Environmental Engineering postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Engineering and Architecture Group family.
Environmental Engineering makes up 2.0% of the 120,278 employees across the Engineering and Architecture Group family, ranking #11 of 29 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (44th percentile) of pay among Engineering and Architecture Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Environmental Engineering pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$139,024
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+18.5%
Where Environmental Engineering ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $139,024 is higher than 82% of federal occupation series (443 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Environmental Engineering sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Environmental Engineering ranks higher than 82%.
Related Occupations in Engineering and Architecture Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Engineering | 27,619 | $158,941 | 16.9 yrs |
| Engineering Technical | 14,443 | $93,062 | 15.2 yrs |
| Mechanical Engineering | 12,920 | $136,601 | 11.9 yrs |
| Electronics Engineering | 12,889 | $155,270 | 16.8 yrs |
| Civil Engineering | 10,260 | $124,230 | 14.7 yrs |
| Aerospace Engineering | 8,359 | $155,848 | 14.8 yrs |
| Electronics Technical | 7,298 | $103,713 | 15.6 yrs |
| Electrical Engineering | 5,231 | $142,419 | 13.5 yrs |
| Computer Engineering | 3,753 | $160,672 | 14.2 yrs |
| Nuclear Engineering | 2,813 | n/a | 13.5 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Environmental Engineering outside the Engineering and Architecture Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (2,429 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($139,024 here).
Key takeaways
- Environmental Engineering pays above the federal average by 18.5% ($139,024 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 82nd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 2,429 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.9% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Environmental Engineering ranks #141 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Environmental Engineering makes up 2.0% of the 120,278 employees across the Engineering and Architecture Group family, ranking #11 of 29 occupations in that family by headcount.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.